Profit and Loss
' |image= |series= |production=40512-438 |producer(s)= |story= |script= Flip Kobler & Cindy Marcus |director= Robert Wiemer |imdbref=tt0708583 |guests=Mary Crosby as Natima, Andrew Robinson as Elim Garak, Michael Reilly Burke as Hogue, Heidi Swedberg as Rekelen, Edward Wiley as Gul Toran |previous_production=Playing God |next_production=Blood Oath |episode=DS9 S02E18 |airdate= 20 March 1994 |previous_release=(DS9) Playing God (Overall) Eye of the Beholder |next_release=(DS9) Blood Oath (Overall) Genesis |story_date(s)=Unknown (2370) |previous_story=(DS9) Playing God (Overall) Genesis |next_story=(DS9) Blood Oath (Overall) Journey's End }} =Summary= In a damaged shuttle, three Cardassian dissidents arrive at DS9 - Professor Natima Lang and two of her students, Rekelen and Hogue. As O'Brien repairs their ship, the trio take a stroll on the promenade and promptly run into Quark, who is still smitten by Lang, though their relationship ended bitterly seven years ago. Still in love with Quark as well, Lang tries to hide because her life has taken a new direction. She is convinced that her students represent the future of Cardassia - a free and democratic future. Unfortunately, Garak also recognizes Lang and her students. He quickly informs Cardassian Central Command, hoping to curry some favor. A Cardassian warship soon arrives at DS9. In response, Bajor negotiates a prisoner swap, and Odo is forced to arrest the trio. Later he releases them. He knows they don't deserve death. At the same time, Gul Toran recruits Garak to kill the dissidents. In exchange, Toran promises Garak a return to Cardassia. Garak quickly agrees, cutting off the trio's escape in a cargo bay. That's when Toran butts in, determined to take credit for the assassination himself. Incensed, Garak kills Toran and allows the dissidents to depart safely - courtesy of a small cloaking device from Quark. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Two small items concerning the ending of this episode: First, I have a hard time believing that Garak would stand off to the side in the cargo bay and wait around while Quark says his gushy "so longs" to Lang. Maybe he is making sure that no-one else from Toran’s ship tries to stop the dissidents. Second, whatever happened to the Bajoran prisoners? Were they returned, or did Odo's actions result in the condemnation of one-half dozen prisoners to lives of continued pain and suffering? (And, if you were the provisional government and you lost the opportunity to get a half dozen of your people returned because of some loose-cannon Security officer, what you would do to him?) For all we know, Dukat was telling the truth when he stated all Bajoran prisoners had been freed in The Homecoming, meaning the prisoners mentioned here may never have existed, and the swap may have been an attempt to allow some surgically altered Cardassian agents to infiltrate Bajoran society! Changed Premises # "Plain, simple Garak" returns at the beginning of this episode. Once again, Bashir attempts to discover—over his regular luncheon with the Cardassian—what Garak's true role is on the station. This is very odd. After all, just two episodes ago, Bashir said that Garak had been lecturing him on surveillance techniques. Garak could have been testing Bashir’s gullibility! # Jumping in to take credit for the assassination of Lang and the others, Gul Toran taunts Garak - amazed that our beloved tailor would believe that this one act would curry him renewed favor with Cardassian Central Command. Obviously, at this point in the series, the creators didn't know that Garak wasn't with Central Command in the first place. He was with the Obsidian Order—as yet un introduced into the Star Trek universe. (We learn of Garak's background four shows later, in The Wire. At least we gather enough facts to infer his background.) Maybe Toran was unaware that Garak was with the Obsidian Order. Equipment Oddities # At one point Quark brings the cloaking device to Lang's quarters. Somehow I was expecting more. This little chunk of metal = apparently only a bit larger than a softball - can hide an entire ship from everyone's sensors? Why not – during the Cold War the US Armed Forces had Tactical Nuclear Warheads that fitted inside artillery shells. Nit Central # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Thursday, September 14, 2000 - 1:52 am: Quark tells Natima the Rules of Acquisition, but she is a Female, and isn't it forbidden for Females to know the Rules of Acquisition. That restriction may only apply to Ferengi females. # A Samarian Sunrise remains clear until someone taps the glass then it remains orange? Wouldn't pouring the liquid together be more energetic, or the liquid sloshing as it is carried, or set down? Why is the tap so magical? ''Lea Frost on Friday, September 15, 2000 - 10:32 pm:''Maybe it has something to do with sound waves? (No, I can't say if that makes any sense at all.) # Aaron Dotter on Thursday, June 05, 2003 - 8:39 pm: When Garak vaporized Gul Toran, how come no alarms went off about a phaser being fired (like on ST:VI)? I find this curious especially since other parts of the station have weapon detectors, even other cargo bays (as with the firefight in Business as Usual). '' John A. Lang on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 9:48 pm:'' How can weapons be discharged without setting off an alarm on DS9? Odo REALLY needs that Starship technology on DS9! '' ScottN on Friday, October 17, 2003 - 9:03 am:The Cardies didn't care about that when they built the station ''Seniram Garak could have temporarily deactivated them. Category:Episodes Category:Deep Space Nine